Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reading Trends And College-Age Students: The Research, The Issues, And The Role Of Libraries, Pauline Dewan

Library Publications

With the increasing virtualization of resources, reference service and instruction, college students have fewer reasons to visit the academic library, a place they believe lacks relevance in their lives. This article explores the idea of revitalizing academic libraries by reconsidering the place of pleasure reading in them. Considerable research has been conducted on reading in the last quarter century. Reading serves a host of essential functions, far more than we have ever guessed. The first part of this paper looks at the social, psychological, moral, emotional, and cognitive role it plays in our lives. The second half examines readers’ advisory …